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Gun Suppressors and the Process of Making Laws

The Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 367) is a bill that will remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA), replacing the antiquated federal transfer process with an instantaneous NICS background check.

The Hearing Protection Act would change the federal treatment of gun suppressors, making it easier for gun owners to protect their hearing. Instead of the current complicated process the purchasers would have to pass the same instant NICS background check used during the sale of long guns not machine guns. Law-abiding citizens will remain free to purchase suppressors, while anyone with a rejected background check would be barred from suppressor purchases.

The National Firearms Act of 1934, federally regulated suppressors so prospective buyers have been sending in a Form 4 application to the ATF, paying the $200 per suppressor transfer tax, and waiting months for the ATF to process and approve the paperwork. The Hearing Protection Act would eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers and refund the tax to anyone who paid the tax after October 22, 2015.

The Hearing Protection Act has gained considerable support since it was introduced in 2015. There have been over 135,000 emails sent directly to legislators from this website www.HearingProtectionAct.com.

“Reaching 100 cosponsors in the House clearly shows that the HPA has a tremendous amount of support, but there is still a lot of work to be done to get it to the President’s desk,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association.
“We are working very hard with Representatives Duncan and Carter, and Senator Crapo to turn this legislation into law as quickly as possible; however, it’s going to take time. As we continue our push to move this bill through the legislative process, we commend the 109 legislators in the House and Senate who have signed on in support of this common sense legislation to make the recreational shooting and hunting experiences safer for generations to come.”

Considering the length of time it takes for a bill to be passed into law, there could still be a considerable amount of time that passes before it becomes law. Let’s consider that process in detail with the following graphic that explains the steps of any bill becoming law.